University of Cincinnati Bearcats guard Mya Perry (1) looks down the court during a women’s basketball game against the Arizona State University Sun Devils on Jan. 24, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.
On February 10, 2026, Fifth Third Bancorp revealed that it is growing its “Team Fifth Third” Name, Image, and Likeness initiative. The expanded program now features 30 student-athletes and extends across nine partner universities, including the University of Cincinnati (UC), Auburn University, Butler University, Florida Atlantic University, Michigan State University, and Xavier University.
Among those 30 student-athletes, UC athletes chosen for this NIL deal were women’s basketball guard fourth-year Mya Perry, men’s basketball first-year guard Shon Abev and first-year forward Tyler McKinley.
The initiative is among the earliest of its kind in this new world of Name, Image, and Likeness. It is built on the belief that the journeys and experiences of student athletes deserve to be shared. As part of the program, Team Fifth Third athletes will partner with the bank on a social media series that spotlights the meaningful, everyday efforts they make both on and off the court to succeed at the Division I level.
Their personal experiences will be brought to life across the athletes’ TikTok and Instagram pages, as well as Fifth Third’s social media.
“Student-athletes work incredibly hard while competing on an elite level,” said Carolyn David, head of marketing at Fifth Third Bancorp in a press release from Feb. 10, 2026. “Their stories reflect dedication and resilience, and they deserve to be told. Team Fifth Third lets us spotlight their hard work, both on and off the court.”
This initiative builds on Fifth Third’s longstanding involvement in collegiate athletics. The bank holds naming rights to Fifth Third Arena at UC and Fifth Third Stadium at Kennesaw State University.
Through this program Fifth Third will be offering these athletes personalized coaching from Fifth Third bankers. The goal behind this coaching to “strengthen community ties and equipping student-athletes with financial knowledge to succeed beyond the game,” according to the press release. These coaches from Fifth Third will be assisting the players in budgeting, saving and investing.
